In what units is the period reported?

The period of a wave refers to the amount of time it takes for one complete cycle of the wave to occur. In the context of ultrasound and sonography, the period is typically measured in time units. The most common units used to express the period are seconds, microseconds, or milliseconds, as these allow for the measurement of very short durations relevant to the high frequencies used in ultrasound.

When reporting the period in ultrasound, microseconds is frequently used since ultrasound waves have high frequencies (often in the range of megahertz), which means their periods are quite short—often in the microsecond range. Therefore, stating that the period can be reported in microseconds and seconds is accurate, as it encompasses the relevant smaller unit (microseconds) as well as the larger time unit (seconds) to represent a full range of possible periods in various contexts.

The other units, such as hertz, would refer to frequency rather than period, while seconds and minutes may not be practical for measuring the extremely short time periods associated with ultrasound waves. Thus, the option indicating microseconds and seconds captures the necessary detail for reporting period effectively within the context of sonography.